Fantasy football “expert” Steve McDaniel is back with a word of advice about those RB spots on your roster — don’t bail on them just yet.

The days of seeing multiple big-time rushers like Adrian Peterson is fading but it is not gone yet.

If you needed any more evidence that the NFL has fallen deeply, madly, in love with the pass, look no further than Week 1 of the new season.

It’s not that teams have given up completely on the running game – a couple of running backs even broke 100 yards. But the league average of 93 yards per game is a full 20 yards less than the averages of the past two decades or so.

Before Philly’s LeSean McCoy shredded a hapless Redskins defense for 184 yards on Monday night, the

top rusher for Week 1 wasn’t even a running back, much less a player on anyone’s fantasy radar. So it’s unlikely that any fantasy rosters outside the Bay Area benefited from Oakland quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s 112-yard game against the Colts.

Superstud Adrian Peterson bolted out of the starting gate like Secretariat, ripping off a 78-yard TD in the Vikings’ loss to Detroit. That was good and all, but his other 17 carries netted a paltry 15 yards (he did score twice to mitigate the yardage issue). My math skills are, to be kind, unreliable, but even I know that’s less than a yard per carry.

New England’s Shane Vereen broke the 100 mark (and his wrist), and DeAngelo Williams (86 yards) was the lone bright spot in Carolina’s awful opener. Reggie Bush was spectacular in his Lions debut with 90 rushing yards to go with 101 receiving and a TD, but that was about it for rushing accolades in Week 1.

Does this mean running backs have become a quicker version of the tight end, fantasy-wise? Are they a roster nuisance that, at best, doesn’t ruin your week?

The short answer is: No. Teams still seek desperately to establish a running game. Peterson’s 17 futile attempts after his opening romp speak to that fact (and that Christian Ponder isn’t capable of carrying an offense). Since 1989, when the league average for rushing attempts dropped below 30 for the first time, offenses have stuck to 27 or 28 attempts on average. Last week, that number was almost 26, so there’s no massive change in philosophy among offensive coordinators.

So while the 200-yard rushing game will become rarer, the relative value of a top-flight running back won’t regress, as long as fantasy rules continue the way they do. The fact will always remain that a running back the caliber of Jamaal Charles is vastly more valuable to a fantasy roster than the likes of Bilal Powell, whereas the difference between receivers Roddy White and Steve Johnson is slight at best.

What has changed is the ratio of running to receptions. Way back yonder in ’89, teams averaged almost 18 receptions per game, a ratio of 1.6 rushes per reception. In 2012, that ratio was 1.2; in Week 1 of this season, it was 1.1.

The NFL wants to throw the ball – often. Every measurable component of the passing game is on the rise: attempts, yards per attempt, receptions, yards per reception, and on and on. It shows no signs of abating anytime soon, and it is very likely in the next season or two that the ratio will reverse in favor of receptions over rushing attempts.

What won’t change is the scarcity of alpha-dog running backs. While their overall impact might decline in the sea of changes affecting NFL offenses, the fact that they are few makes them all the more valuable.

If you’re in desperate need of a running back, stay away, far away, from anyone wearing a black-and-gold uniform and plays his home games in southwestern Pennsylvania.

THREE TO WATCH

Three to Watch takes a look at some players in changing environments as we head into Week 2.

Anquan Boldin, WR, 49ers

Boldin bolted from the Super Bowl champions to the Super Bowl losers in the off-season, then bolted through the Packers defense for 208 receiving yards in Week 1. That was then, this is Week 2 and the Seahawks defense. Boldin will continue to be Colin Kaepernick’s primary target, but yards come grudgingly to Seattle opponents at Qwest/CenturyLink Field. The last meeting there left the 49ers limping home on the heels of a blowout loss. Don’t look for any 30-point beatings in this one, and don’t look for any 200-yard anything from either offense (beyond total yards, maybe!) Boldin is a good play this season while he keeping getting targeted, but the dropoff from Week 1 to 2 will be steep.

Chad Henne, QB, Jaguars

The game that became a train wreck for Jacksonville in Week 1 might have actually done the Jags one favor: it knocked Blaine Gabbert to the sideline. We’ll never mistake this offense with the Packers or Saints, but it moved much better with Henne under center last season. Since there’s nowhere to go but up from a 28-2 loss to the equally lowly Chiefs, expect Henne to at least crack the end zone a couple of times in Oakland on Sunday. If you’re thinking about him as a fantasy starter, you have more problems than there is

Can Ahmad Bradshaw put the hammer down like he did in the past, or has that time passed, too?

Vick Ballard is officially done for the season after wrecking his knee in practice Thursday, so the Colts (probably begrudgingly) must hand the starting job over to the unpredictable Bradshaw. He had a couple of standout seasons with the Giants, but foot and ankle injuries have plagued his career. The Colts desperately need to keep Andrew Luck upright, and a good way to slow a pass rush is with an effective run game. Bradshaw has proven he can excel, but his injury history will keep Indy from overloading him. He’s worth a flyer as a roster backup, but until we see him

About This Blog

Howdy. I’m sports editor Dan Spears, and I keep everything straightened up around here — with thoughts on pretty much anything to do with sports, both locally and nationally. I’ve been with the StarNews since August 2006, and sports editor since September 2008. I’m a big college basketball fan and have been to the first weekend of the NCAAs every year since 1997, either as a fan or a writer. I attempt to play golf, run marathons and play volleyball here in town at Capt’n Bill’s on Market Street. Enjoy reading, and let me know what you’re thinking … Dan